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All has not gone to plan for Chautauqua County in 2022. Despite some positive news here and there, setbacks abounded as the region continues to plod aimlessly toward a better future. Here are the OBSERVER’s top newsmakers, by month, before we take on 2023.

≤ January – ImmunityBio announced it would be acquiring the state of the art Athenex plant in the town of Dunkirk off Route 5 near the city line. By all accounts, this could be the future that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had in mind when the investment was first announced in 2016. Right now, however, the plant is closed and the workforce of 40 employees were laid off in September.

≤ February – There seems to be an engine of support for the concept of bringing an Amtrak stop to the city of Dunkirk. During a pair of meetings in the last month, a revived proposal includes support from the State University of New York at Fredonia. At present, the situation remains at a standstill with Westfield also hopeful of a stop.

≤ March – Another village water emergency in late February rekindles the petty dispute regarding the Fredonia-Dunkirk rivalry. That incident lasted seven hours and brought 153,000 gallons of water from the city to Fredonia. Randy Woodbury, city DPW director, responded to complaints of brown water in Fredonia that were reported at 6:30 a.m., two hours before the feed was turned on. “This is mentioned because prior water color in Fredonia was mentioned as possibly being from the Dunkirk feed, which Dunkirk feels is not the case,” he said. Current barometer on this issue: murky.

≤ April – An OBSERVER Freedom of Information Law request revealed the village had paid Webster Szanyi $234,063 for legal services rendered in 2021. That was more than triple the amount paid to Daniel Gard in 2020 when he pocketed more than $68,000. Village officials expect this cost to decrease in 2022, but there is no denying the cost of a law firm will be much greater than an individual, local attorney.

≤ May – Small schools regularly receive a life preserver from the state in capital projects. This year, an $8,475,000 capital project to replace building roofs, heaters, replace boilers, upgrade parking lots, make interior and exterior renovations, and make energy savings improvements was approved in Forestville. As is usually the case with any major rebuilding effort that gets voter approval, much of the funding comes from New York state. Local taxpayers are on the hook for very little of the construction and building.

≤ June – With a system full of flaws and worries, newly elected Fredonia officials see a value to being a partner in the North County Water District. Its biggest obstacle, however, is the current district board. Those members are rightly frustrated with past representation from the village. A snide remark earlier this month from Dunkirk town Supervisor Richard Purol said it all. “There were people from your board here who talked to us about our board and how to join,” he said. “We were very courteous to them.”

≤ July – A shortage in superintendents is a reality facing a number of districts across the state. One new Forestville board member, however, looked at only a smaller picture: “(The superintendent’s pay) has gone up every year, while the cafeteria workers make less than people who work at McDonald’s,” Lindsay Ellis said. For the record, every individual who works is underpaid. But superintendents – many who earn nearly $200,000 in total compensation – have much more leverage when it comes to salary.

≤ August – A decision to the west could have major ramifications on Western New York in the coming years. Earlier this month, by a 6-1 margin, Ohio state Supreme Court judges ruled in favor of placing wind turbines in Lake Erie. As for now, New York waits to see what happens in Ohio. Its impact, no matter what side of the wind argument you are on, could forever change the Great Lakes.

≤ September – In the heart of ice cream season, workers and residents in the north county received an unexpected jolt. Wells Enterprises, which had invested more than $90 million into its Dunkirk facility, decided to abruptly pull back near the end of July. In the process, the company was going from nearly 20 production lines to five.

≤ October – That checkerboard tower at Nestle Purina that proudly stands is a true beacon of success. Since its beginnings in 1972, the plant has grown in terms of its physical presence as well as in workers. It is one of the most important engines in this community as its current staff plays an important role in supporting a number of nonprofit agencies.

≤ November – For the Gowanda Central School district on Tuesday, Nov. 1 a false alarm led to fear and plenty of anxiety. Due to a malfunction around 9 a.m. that day, an estimated 30 police officers arrived and were armed as the district went into lockdown and later transitioned to a shelter in place order before everything was all clear. While everything turned out safe, there are a number of lessons. Most importantly, during the lockdown, schools must deal with the issue at hand — whatever it is. Because social media has brought an immediacy to every event, with that comes errors and additional panic in what is being shared by community members due to hearsay or not having all the facts.